WASHINGTON — For Maxine Wyman, Barack Obama's swearing-in was a homecoming. It also was a moving milestone in the fight for civil rights whose birth she witnessed firsthand growing up African-American in the nation's capital.

On Tuesday, the tech writer, who has called Silicon Valley home for 25 years, came back to celebrate. Like 1.5 million others who rejoiced on the National Mall, she came without a ticket, braving frigid weather, miles-long walks and distant views to watch Barack Obama become the 44th president.

"I wanted to be physically present at the event to show support for Obama, for this achievement, an achievement for the nation,'' said Wyman, 57.

It seemed everyone who thronged Washington had a story, a reason why they wanted to — had to — come see for themselves, even if just on one of the jumbo screens arrayed in the Mall. Though official attendance figures haven't been released, this inauguration appeared to break records with about 1.5 million people, eclipsing the 1.2 million who came for Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965.

And in that crowd, reflected on those massive TVs, Wyman saw the common emotions that united a nation Tuesday.

"The event is reflected back to you. When you look and see the wide shot of all those people on the Mall and all those flags waving, you are struck by how many people shared your own feeling, that they too had to come out — even if we were nowhere near the vicinity of the swearing-in.''

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Cold weather, warm feelings

They began arriving at 4 a.m. in the middle of a cold snap. The thermometer read 20 degrees at 6 a.m., rising to only 28 by the noon swearing-in. Hundreds of people sought medical assistance at first-aid stations, mostly for falls and hypothermia. Warming huts dotted the Mall, and a few vehicles were pressed into service as "warming buses.''

But the cold appeared not to dissuade the crowds, who traveled from all points across the nation. At one spot, near the original Smithsonian museum, people hailed from New York's Harlem, Chicago, Memphis, Phoenix, Ohio and Los Angeles.

Many wore Obama-emblazoned gear and showed their emotions openly, with tear-stained cheeks, spontaneous hugs of families and strangers, and shouts of "President Obama" after he put down his right hand at the oath's completion.

Constance Y. Williams of Chicago, who met Obama as a member of Trinity United Church of Christ, Obama's former church, took a 22-hour bus ride to be on the Mall, where she had waited since 5:30 a.m. "It's freezing, but we are all warm inside,'' she said.

Amid the cheer, however, some feelings die hard. Outgoing President George W. Bush got little respect from the throngs. When his image appeared on the big screen, many in the crowd booed. Others started singing "Na na na na/Hey, hey/Goodbye.'' And a few held American flags upside down in protest of Bush's presidency. Still, other Obama supporters chided the critics.

Obama's somber address, which called Americans to "a new era of responsibility," mostly belied the enthusiasm of massive crowds that had spent all morning celebrating, breaking into spontaneous pro-Obama cheers as they rode Washington's jampacked Metro subway and walked miles only to be turned away at gates or forced to squeeze through narrow openings to enter and leave the Mall.

Amid jubilation, frustration

By the time Obama delivered his 18-minute, 37-second speech, the cold and long hours had begun to take their toll and many in the crowd grew restless. Obama received the loudest applause from the Mall crowd when he said it was time to restore America's reputation abroad and noted that fewer than 60 years had passed since his father would have been refused service in some Washington restaurants.

"It was an amazing, inspiring event,'' said Ted Smith, a Silicon Valley environmental consultant. "We're in such a dangerous crisis. The only silver lining is that Obama has been able to inspire so many people.''

Amid the elation was frustration for some inauguration-goers with tickets who found themselves locked out of the proceedings before they could make it through mandatory security checkpoints. Instead, they had to watch video and hear audio streamings on iPhones,

Among them was Janice Hough of Palo Alto. "The tickets were meaningless,'' said Hough, who was stranded along with an Illinois congressional aide and a couple from Memphis when a checkpoint was shut down at 11:45 a.m.

Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone, a veteran of three previous inaugurations, was left in the cold, literally. "They closed the gate with only 15 people in front of me,'' said Stone, who carried a purple ticket that was supposed to allow him into close-in priority seating. "This whole thing looks like it was administered by FEMA.''

The impact of the Obama speech — the entire inauguration — was visible through the eyes of Bethany Dockery, an African-American 8-year-old from Memphis. Her tearful mother hugged Bethany tightly, wrapped in her pink coat and hat, while Obama repeated the oath of office.

When he finished, Bethany broke free and began jumping up and down.

"It's exciting to see a black president,'' she said. "It makes us feel good because we can accomplish anything, because we have a chance.''